Folding bathtub support



JulyN 1925.

E. E. FAULET FOLDING BATHTIJB -SUPPORT Filed June 14, 1923 ln/vento@ vf/wife EFQM/ef Patented July 7, 1925.

EDWIN E. PAULET, OF PAUL, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING BATHTUB SUPPORT.

Application led .Tune 14,1923. Serial No; 645,267.k

To all 'Lo/wm t may concern.'

Be it known that LEDWIN E. PAULET, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Bathtub Supports, of which the following is a specication.

This invention rela-tes to devices for'use in connection with bath tubs, and more particularly tomeans for supporting a miniature bath tub and providing in connection therewith, a resilient table upon which the infant may be placed, and which is permeable by water.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a foldable device of the class described, which will be light in weight and of open work construction, and be adapted to be folded to be conveniently carried about.

Other objects and advantages of the device will be pointed out as this specification progresses, the invention consisting in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1, is a fragmentary perspective view of an ordinary bath tub, showing my improved device in operative position thereon.

Figure 2, is a fragmentary perspective View of my invention, showing it partly unfolded.

Figure 3, is an end view showing it in folded position.

Y Figure 4, is a side view of same; and

Figure 5, is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a bath tub of ordinary type, having a rolled rim 2. The invention comprises a bath tub supporting frame, designated generally by the numeral 3, to which is attached by means of hinges 4, a. companion frame, generally designated by the numeral 5, said frame being of a size and configuration t0y register at the edges with the frame 3 when folded thereagainst, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The frame 3 comprises a pair of end rails 6, an outer side rail 7, and an inner side rail 8, all of the rails being preferably rectangular in cross section and joined together in the usual manner to form al rectangular frame.

of the device,

Preferably tenoned in the end rails 6, are the lattices or longitudinal supporting members 9, suitably spaced to form an `open work support for an infants bath tub 10, the latter being indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings. The companion frame 5 comprises end rails 11, and an outer side rail 12.

Closing the opening ofthe frame is a resilient support 13, preferably made of canvas, and secured along its edges, by means of suitable fasteners or nails 14, to the end members 11 and side member 12. The inner long edge o-f the support overlaps the inner side rail member 8 of the frame, and is suitably secured thereto.

As indicated in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the two frames are connected in a manner to be slightly separated, as at 14', when in folded position, thus enabling the overlapping' portion of the cloth support to fold against the main body thereof at the hinged connections 4, when the frames are in folded position, said support being preferably cut away at the corners. By mounting the canvas in overlapping relation, as described in the foregoing, the same is enabled to slacken when the frames are in folded position, as indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings. Inasmuch as, in the process of folding the frames, the point of attachment of the overlapping portion of the cloth is moved a distance, as at 15, toward the frame 5, the cloth slackens sufliciently, when 1n inoperative v f position, to permit the same to fold upon the main body of the canvas. By permitting the cloth to become slack when not in use, the same is enabled to reassume its normali unstretchedastate; that is to say, the threads of the weft naturally shrink to their normal state, so that, in subsequent use thereof, the cloth will stretch taut under' greater tension, than would be the case if the same were in a constantly stretched stat-e on an individual frame, or one having an inner side rail. This I find to be an important advantage, I having observed that the cloth fibers, in the drying process shrink back to their normal length, whereas cloth permanently mounted in a lstretched statev on an individual frame, becomes saggy and loose. Y

Thus, 1n operation, when the device 1s opened, the cloth is stretched to the extent of the distance of the space l5, thereby stretching it under considerable tension, so

device, it is preferably placed over an ordi.

nary bath tub, as indicated in Figure 1, and

the infant bathed in the tuby l0 as desired,

the surplus water passing freely through the open work frame into the bath tub. The child is then laid upon the canvas support, where it may be conveniently handled and dried. f Y Y I claim: l

l. A device of the class described, comprising a main open work frame constructed to extend across a bath tub and be supported on the side walls thereof, a similarly sup ported companion frame positioned immediately adjacent thereto, hinge connections between said frames to enable the same to be folded one against the other, said hinge connections including pintles, and a closure of iexible material fixedly stretched across the opening of said companion frame and extending beyond said pintles to a point on said main frame and having connection therewith, thereat.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of similar rectangular frames, hinge means interconnecting said frames to have an open coextensive condition and a closed superposed condition, support means connected laterally across one of said frames and webbed means connected to a side of one of said frames opposite said hinge means, and to a side of the other fra-me adjacent said hinge means to flex the webbed nieans when said frames are in a closed superposed condition, and to tauten said webbed means when the frames are in an open eoextensive condition.

In testimony whereof'I aflix my signature.

EDVIN E. PAULET. 

